Haruki no Suna
by herbskert
Summary: Harry Potter would do anything for his precious people, even the ultimate sacrifice. When he is killed defending his friends, he is given another chance at life - a full life. Sunagakure is known for shinobi that value the mission over each other. Raised by one of the Honoured Siblings, Haruki will help the Kazekage children bring Suna out of their sandstorm and into the sun.
1. Chapter 1

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Harry Potter looked around at his friends, seeing their various states of distress. Ron and Hermione were leaning on each other, Hermione's left leg had been shattered as they were retreating from Death Eaters and Ron most likely had a concussion based from the blood that would not stop dripping from his head and that he had a hard time keeping his eyes open.

Neville was forced to put his right arm in a make-shift sling when Fenrir Greyback nearly tore it off in multiple places which had forced him to use his non-dominant hand to spell cast with which left the group at a disadvantage as Neville was one of their heavy hitters.

The only ones that were relatively unharmed were Harry, who had a few scratches, Severus, though one of his eyes were forced shut due to repeated blows to his head, and Luna, who luckily got away with just a few scratches as well.

Harry couldn't help the violent flinch that came as the wards around Grimmauld Place were violently assaulted by the group of Death Eaters that had came after them. These were the last of the Death Eaters as the rest were killed or were executed via the Dementor's Kiss after Voldemort was defeated more than three months ago, killed by Harry himself. This group, made up of Greyback, the Lestrange Brothers, Augustus Rookwood, and eight or so other lesser known Death Eaters, had resurfaced in the past week and were hell bent on getting revenge for their master and reminding everyone why they should be on the top of the Wizarding World.

The group had found them standing by the graves of their comrades that had fallen in the war and engaged them in a surprise attack, anti-apparition wards making it impossible for them to flee. They had been pushed back after significant injuries were taken, though they gave as good as they got, and with the enemy in greater number it was the best course of action to take. Harry settled himself and tried to be positive, at least Remus and Tonks weren't here and were instead taking care of their baby. They had wanted to come with them to see Sirius' grave but Harry talked them out of it, saying they should spend time with their son.

He took another look around at his friends and couldn't stop the warm feeling that rose within him. Though the odds were against them, each of their eyes showed Harry an unbroken spirit and the willingness to never quit. Neville seemed to be psyching himself up for a final battle, Ron and Hermione were quietly enjoying the company of each other as it might be their last chance, Severus was looking around trying to find anything that could give them an edge against the enemy trying to force their way inside the Black ancestral house, and Luna was looking straight at him with a focus he rarely saw in her. It was Luna that spoke first.

"So, Harry," came the prompt from the former Ravenclaw. Everyone's eyes shifted to him in anticipation. If he was younger he would have been uncomfortable with having his friends' lives in his hands, but war had quickly changed this; especially since he was widely seen as the leader of the Light after Dumbledore was killed by Voldemort and his Inner Circle, though he took all of them with him save for Voldemort.

Harry quickly went through their situation, "There are six of us, three seriously injured, and twelve of them, some of which are also seriously injured. The wards around the house will fall soon as there is no Head of the Black Family and thus no one for the wards to draw power from-"

"Wait, I thought you were the Head after Sirius died? Didn't he transfer everything to you?" asked Hermione.

Harry let out a sigh, "We were going to but with the Voldemort's Inner Circle defeated and our gaining on Voldemort's location we thought it unnecessary, neither of us thought Sirius would die soon after."

Severus let out a contemptuous snort, "Mindless Gryffindors."

"Slimy Slytherin," came the automatic reply from Ron. And suddenly everyone had smiles on their faces despite their situation as old memories came to their minds.

Harry gave a wry shake of his head and continued, "The longest we have is maybe fifteen minutes before they barge in and start shooting spells. There are two exits in the house, the front door and the one in the cellar that leads a few miles outside of town. Sirius' ancestor had it built so that the family could escape if their dark activities were ever found out. We can't apparate out as we're are not keyed into the apparition wards. Only three of us can fight-"

"Oi!" yelled an indignant Ron, "we can fight, we're not invalid!" Neville was shaking his head in agreement, "Yeah, we are not going to let you guys fight them alone."

Harry smiled and Hermione reached out to steady her partner, "Ron, love, you're swaying and you haven't stopped bleeding since we got here. I can't feel my leg and I can barely walk _with_ help from one of you. And Neville, while you can still cast spells with your left hand, they are underpowered and your aim is off. You are more likely to hit one of us than the enemy."

Severus nodded in agreement, "Granger is right. Another thing is, since the three of you cannot fight then you will be in the way as the three of us cannot fight the Death Eaters and protect you at the same time, it would be suicide for all of us. It would be best if the we all escaped through the tunnel to safety."

Neville and Ron grudgingly agreed with Severus' plan.

Luna hummed to herself and cocked her head to the side, "If we all run then they would just chase us. And in our condition they would catch up to us and the same thing would happen if we were to stay."

Ron groaned into Hermione's shoulder, "Bugger. Luna's right. This is utter shite."

"What do we do then?" came question from Neville.

Harry wearily ran his hand through his hair and looked at his comrades, "One of us will have to stay behind and hold them off while the rest get to safety."

Before anymore could be said the group instantly went off, arguing who it should be who stays behind. Neville, Hermione, and Ron each offered, saying that they were injured already and thus had less to lose. Severus offered saying he was the oldest, that he already lived, and that he was the most familiar with Death Eater methods and that maybe he could convince them he was still with them. Luna said that she was willing to as she saw no better end than dying for friends and that she wanted to find a creature that was only accessible in death.

Harry's soft smile never wavered as he listened to his friends bicker about who should stay behind. He needed to put a stop to this quickly, the wards wouldn't last much longer.

A loud bang from his wand had everyone looking at him once more.

"I can't ask any of you to throw your life away for this stupid war, it wouldn't be worth it. Ron, Hermione you both want to start a family together there is nothing more important than that, you both deserve to settle down. Luna, you still have yet to find a Crumple Horned Snorkack, don't give up so soon. Neville, mate, you will lead the next generation of magic users into a new age, you are needed. Severus, you have done more than enough for the Light and everyone that aligns themselves with it, let someone else do the same for you. I should be the one to stay, it is me their after. I killed their precious master and I'm the only one with large enough reserves left to take them out while you guys get away." Harry put up his hand as everyone in the room vehemently voiced their protests.

Harry smiled, "Besides, I'm shite at healing. Luna isn't and Severus is more than skilled in healing potions. Neville will help identify healing roots and herbs. Hermione and Ron will help make sure you guys get to where you need to be, they've always helped me in that regard. I couldn't ask for better friends than the one's here, don't worry I'll tell everyone you guys say hello." Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes. Luna had tears running down her face, Neville, Ron, and Hermione just looked at Harry with watery eyes. Severus had looked away.

The house shuddered. Everyone was quickly on alert. The fifteen minutes had passed. Harry quickly pulled out his wand and pointed at the floor revealing a hidden trap door.

"Quickly!" Neville tried to give Harry a hug but was forcefully shoved down into the tunnel. "There's no time! They'll break through any moment, hurry!"

Making sure Hermione and Ron got through safely, Harry turned and started throwing every locking charm he knew and laying traps by the door, while making sure he didn't burn through his reserves.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Luna jump down and Severus was the last one going down.

"Harry." Harry didn't turn as Severus spoke, instead keeping his gaze on the violently rattling door. "Are you sure? We could switch, the Wizarding World needs their hero not some double agent."

Severus couldn't see Harry's face as he spoke but he could see the determination on the young man, "You're right, they do. Luckily there is five of them traveling through a tunnel to safety."

With that the door slammed open, three Death Eaters were caught in a fire trap and were quickly disposed of. The rest were pushed back from the doorway as Harry sent a barrage of spells.

Severus couldn't help but watch in admiration and awe, how wrong he had been all those years ago. He took one last look at the hero of the Wizarding World before he dropped into the tunnel and hurried after the others.

Harry felt, more than heard, Severus finally leave and let out a sigh of relief. The Death Eater's numbers had been cut drastically and now all that stood were Greyback, one of the Lestranges, and a nobody. The rest were either taken out by traps or Harry's wand.

Greyback moved forward letting out a low growl, "You'll pay, Potter. And after we deal with you, your friends will make for tasty snacks."

Harry smirked, "I'm sorry disappoint you but my friends are not up for grabs. Though you are right about one thing."

At the furiously confused looks in front of him, Harry laughed, "I will die today but you are all coming with me."

Lestrange came even with Greyback, "What?!" He snarled and gave a cruel smirk, "You're willing to sacrifice yourself for them? You really are a fool, this will be easy."

Harry shook his head, "No, you are the fools. I will protect my precious people no matter the cost, they have given me something that far outweighs the fear of death."

The unnamed Death Eater spoke up, "Oh yeah, half-blood? What's that? Indulge me in your last moments."

Harry closed his eyes and smiled, "Life." And then, "Fiendfyre."

As Harry was burned alive by the demonic fire, he took grim satisfaction in seeing his enemies scream in horror. He wasn't worried about the fiendfyre getting out of control, once he died so would it.

Harry Potter's last thoughts were hoping his friends were safe.

 **Unknown**

It was floating, at least It think It was. It wasn't really sure what was happening or for how long It had been wherever It was, but It knew that It was at peace, yet something was missing.

Something important It assumed, why else would It remember?

Wait, what's this warmth?

Why is it familiar yet so different, this one feels more natural and had a flow to it, the other felt sentient and chaotic.

The warmth asked it something.

What?

Go where?

Why?

What It's missing? What is it that It's missing?

A full life? But It felt fine where It was. What is life anyway?

Connections? Trust? Comrades? Friends? Family? Ah. That's what It forgot. How does It get them back?

Does It even want those connections? It stilled, what a stupid question. Of course It did.

It was enveloped by the flowing warmth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chiyo and Ebizo's Fish Pond**

Ebizo couldn't help but look at his beloved sister with concern.

"Sister." She gave no indication of hearing him and she wasn't pranking him by playing dead. He continued, "You have a fish on your hook, aren't you going to reel it in?"

Again, no response. The only noticeable expression on Ebizo's face were his eyebrows drawing together.

He understood why Chiyo was in this unresponsive state, it had been two years since _he_ left.

Sasori of the Red Sand. Now an S-Ranked missing ninja was at one point Sunagakure's foremost poison user and one of its greatest Puppet Masters, maybe even surpassing Chiyo herself. He had been caught using fellow Suna ninja to make puppets out of, a heinous act that had been put to an end by Chiyo decades earlier. Instead of facing his punishment, he had left the village and everyone in it that cared for him. Though Chiyo never truly made that known to her grandson.

Ebizo sighed, his sister was so emotional sometimes. She probably blamed herself, he mused to himself.

"Chiyo, it isn't your fault-" he was caught off before he could finish.

"Shhh," came the hurried response from the medical ninja.

Ebizo sighed again, why is she so difficult. "Chiyo, you have to move on. It's been two years, I know he's family-" Once more he was shushed before he could finish.

"Be quiet, old man." Ebizo stilled and couldn't stop the amused smile that showed on his wrinkled face. He then noticed that her eyes were closed and that she seemed to be searching for something.

What? It was then he heard the sand.

Very few Suna shinobi could interact with the sand. Actually, interact is a strong word, it was more of a feeling. All the past, and current, Kazekage could feel the sand and treated it as proximity alert of sorts. They could tell who was near the village and who was leaving. It didn't alert them to who, exactly, but how many there were and a general direction they were in. Though there were techniques to get around this sense, of sorts, it was difficult to do so. The Honoured Siblings, Chiyo and himself, could sense the sand as well but that was due to them being alive for so long and protecting Suna most of their lives. He was sure that if any other Suna ninja lived for as long as they did, they would pick up this skill as well.

What he felt was small, alone, and surrounded with chakra. He quickly looked towards his sister who was looking at him determinedly.

"Well, I know you felt it as well. Are you going to sit there like the old sack of bones that you are or are you coming with me?" It was framed as a question, but he knew different.

For the third time in the past twenty minutes Ebizo sighed, "After you, dear Sister." At least she wasn't worrying over that traitor.

 **Suna Desert**

Chiyo and Ebizo quickly entered the desert surrounding Suna and began their search of whatever it was that caught their attention via the sand.

It was rumored that since Suna was established, sometime after the Warring Clans period, that the natural chakra that was in the area increased as more and more shinobi came to populate the desert area. Because of this the sand surrounding Suna is infused with a high amount chakra that is not found in any other desert in the world. From this came the use of sand as a tool, both offensive and defensive, by Suna shinobi as it was attuned to the inherent chakra of the village making it easier to manipulate to a degree.

The desert itself was vast, filled with various poisonous creatures that had adapted to the extreme, dry heat and would strike any passerby in the hopes of a meal. In addition to these creatures was the sand itself. The desert was populated with quicksand that were near impossible to detect. Thus, being able to walk over the shifting sands was a must for Suna shinobi.

One of the advantages of being located in a near inhospitable place was that Suna was at the benefit of the inherent protection that the sand offered. Once you got into the desert it was about a two to three day journey through terrain that seemed to be actively trying to kill you before you even saw the village. Though all shinobi were trained in survival, Suna's desert brought all comers to their absolute limit, some never make it through. Only Suna ninja were able to navigate the desert with relative ease but even they had to make sure to not to get stranded in the unforgivable terrain.

Due to Ebizo's slight sensory skills it was a relatively short search for the two of them. They had to move quick or the desert would claim the subject of their search

Chiyo frowned as they came up on the subject of their search. It was a baby, a male by the looks of it. Why was it all alone in the desert?

A maternal smile appeared on Chiyo's face as she picked up the boy making sure not to jostle him too much, the babe was cute and currently seemed to be in a fitful sleep. She couldn't stop the yearning of her heart as the baby turned in his blanket and sleepily opened his eyes and let out a small yawn. When his eyes opened, Chiyo gasped, his eyes were the most intense shade of green she had ever seen. There was so much life in the boy's eyes, it made Chiyo marvel at the miracle that were children.

She couldn't help but wonder who would leave a baby in the middle of one of the world's harshest terrains. She mentally sighed as she figured that the boy's parents were probably from a town in the Land of Wind and were trying to make their way to Suna but were killed by the harsh climate.

Chiyo tried to see if she could think of anyone that shared the boy's features, green eyes and black hair, that she knew to live in the Land of Wind but none came to mind. Perhaps his parents came from another land.

She was forced out of her musings as the little bundle snuggled its way further into her embrace and was soundly asleep once more. Chiyo gave a loving smile and pat down the boy's hair but was rebuffed as it resulted in an even more chaotic mess. She gave a fond shake of her head at the child in her arms.

Her attention was diverted to a weight on her shoulder and saw that Ebizo was giving her a silent smile of understanding, showing that he would support her decision no matter what she chose. He then turned his head at the rapidly approaching figure from the direction of the village.

The siblings stood proudly as the fourth Kazekage, Rasa, came up to them with an indiscernible look on his face.

Chiyo looked down at the child in her arms, moving the blanket around to where it mostly protected the small child from the intense heat of the sun.

As the Kazekage came to a stop in front of the siblings no one said a word.

Ebizo spoke first after the silent pause, "Lord Kazekage, I was wondering how long it would take you to respond to the alert. Thought the Third Kazekage would have been out here much quicker."

Ebizo's face showed no expression but one could see one of the Kazekage's eyebrows twitch slightly in annoyance. The Third Kazekage is widely considered throughout the village to be Suna's strongest Kazekage and ever since he mysteriously disappeared roughly two years; it seemed like every future Kazekage would be compared to him.

"How is he, have you run a medical scan?" asked Rasa in a measured tone, ignoring Ebizo, in reference to the child in Chiyo's arms.

It was Chiyo who answered, "He seems to be fine, Kazekage. I was going to make sure he needed no immediate help, which he doesn't, and then take him to the hospital for a full checkup."

Suna's leader nodded and quickly disappeared in a shower of gold dust, something that had made him known throughout the shinobi world. The understood message being that he would meet the three of them at the hospital.

The siblings shared a look, they both liked the current Kazekage – though they'd never let anyone know that. Rasa had only been Suna's Kage for a year and a half and had nearly solved the village's economic troubles, which was something that the past Kage all had trouble with.

At the soft whines coming from the boy they both set off for Suna's hospital.

 **Hospital of Sunagakure**

The hospital itself was rather big, being the second largest building in Suna after the Kage residence, and filled with different wards. Considering how important the development of poisons and toxins were to the Suna shinobi, there was a wing devoted to the administering of anti-venoms and ensuring no one actually died from accidently imbuing poison while the anti-venom was made. It was in this wing that all newly minted genin came to gain a general immunity from most toxins that they might come across in the field.

In addition to the poison ward, there was the emergency/intensive care ward, the general care ward, and lastly, which was where the Honored Siblings were headed, the child ward which took care of incoming children and children under five. Those over five could be treated in the general care ward.

The boy was placed on one of the open beds and was surrounded by the Kazekage, Ebizo, Chiyo, and someone to assist Chiyo as she was trained in the medical arts.

"How are his chakra levels? Does it give any indication as to why there was a large amount chakra around him?"

Chiyo looked at Suna's strongest shinobi, "Hold on, let this old woman take her time. It has been a long time since I've been in this hospital. And besides this could be a learning moment for you young people." The last statement being directed at the Kazekage and the young medic ninja.

The medical shinobi immediately stood at alert, ready to absorb anything he could from Chiyo, "Yes, Lady Chiyo!"

Chiyo gave a soft snort and directed her attention to small child who had woken up and was watching them with wonder in his emerald-like eyes. When Chiyo's hands were covered in a green glow, signifying she had started the medical jutsu, the boy laughed in joy and tried to grab at Chiyo's hands.

The scene caused a soft smile to appear on Chiyo's and the medical ninja's face and even Ebizo and Rasa found some warmth in the boy's childish wonder.

With the boy still giggling, still focused on trying to grab at the green glow, Chiyo slowly ran a diagnostic check. What she found made her frown.

Ebizo, seeing that she wasn't going to offer anything without prompting – so dramatic, asked, "Sister, what is it?"

Never one to pass up schooling the youth, Chiyo turned to the medical ninja, "Scan him, tell me what you find."

"Yes, Lady Chiyo." He, too, ran his hands over the boy and he, too, frowned.

"Well?" again asked Ebizo.

The medic straightened, "By the looks of it, Lord Ebizo and Lord Kazekage, the boy is in good health. No signs of chakra exhaustion and it looks like whatever chakra was surrounding him has dissipated. There is no damage to his internal organs nor to his chakra network, which is good."

"What's peculiar about him then?" questioned the Kazekage.

The medic looked towards Chiyo who was focused on keeping the boy entertained with her medical jutsu, it would put a strain on her chakra but it was worth it to hear the child's squeals of delight.

"His chakra network, while slightly developed, is still underdeveloped as to be expected. But, he appears to have sizeable chakra reserves and more than that, it is traveling all throughout his chakra network."

Ebizo's face gave nothing away as he asked, "So? What's so significant about this? Don't all children have chakra flowing through their chakra networks? It's what helps them to survive."

"Normally you'd be right, Lord Ebizo, but in the boy's case his chakra is traveling into places that chakra does not travel to until you train it to do so."

"So," started the Kazekage, "His chakra is going to his fingers, toes, and head?"

Each were locations that were focused on during genin training when they were taught chakra control exercises. Moving one's chakra toward their fingers allowed a shinobi to grab onto nearly any surface, moving chakra towards their toes allowed one to run over most surfaces, and towards the head enhanced sight, hearing, smell, and taste to a degree. One had to perform exercises to accomplish this as, by itself, chakra would not extend to those areas.

Ebizo hummed thoughtfully, "He will be able to control his chakra to a degree that has never been seen in Suna. How interesting."

The medical ninja nodded, "Yes, Lord Kazekage," and, "It would seem so, Lord Ebizo. The Suna shinobi corp would be lucky to have him, if he chose to be a member that is."

"He will be," said the Kazekage, "he'll have to be. Is that everything?"

The medical ninja nodded, "Yes, Lord Kazekage-" he was cutoff.

"There seems to be a small, but significant, amount of chakra located in his eyes. Not unlike in those with a dojustu," interrupted Chiyo as she wrapped the boy tighter when his eyes started fluttering closed, indicating the excitement of the day was getting to him.

"Can you tell what kind, Sister?"

Chiyo gave a small shake, "I cannot, we will have to wait and see."

The Kazekage nodded, he had thought as much.

The boy was in good health, exercised a high amount, for his age, of chakra control that would surpass many others when he was older, and he seemed to have an unidentified dojutsu. Now the only question was.

"If I may, who will take him? The orphanage is full and unless you can find someone to adopt him, other arrangements will have to be made," commented the medical ninja.

The Kazekage shook his head, "I will find someone to adopt him, Suna cannot allow for a child of his potential to get away."

Chiyo looked at him thoughtfully, "Will you take him, Rasa? I know your wife, Karura, would adore to have him in your household."

He shook his head once more, "She would, such a caring woman, but things are too chaotic as there are too many responsibilities to the village that we must take care of before we can consider a child. Besides, you know as well as I that children of the Kage must be blood related."

The three elite shinobi stood quietly in contemplation for the next couple of minutes.

Chiyo sighed and looked the boy, "I will take him, I have nothing better to do with my time. What better than properly raising the next generation."

Rasa nodded, "His name?"

"How about Haruki no Suna?" asked Ebizo.

Chiyo smiled and picked up the boy, "Yes. A strong name for a strong shinobi. Hello, Haruki no Suna, my name is Chiyo – though you may address me as Grandmother. I will be your guardian for the foreseeable future.

Haruki opened his viridian eyes and gave a tired, toothless smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Damn, I'm glad so many people enjoy the story. Some of you might have noticed that I changed Haruko to Haruki, it was brought to my attention that Haruko was a girl's name. While not integral to the story I am trying to be consistent with how the Japanese language works, especially names. I hope no one was overly confused, if so - oh well. Thank you again to the reviewer for letting me know. To those wondering about Haruki's dojutsu, all I will say is that it is not the Sharingan, the Rinnegan, or the Byakugan, in fact I am pretty sure it isn't even in the anime. For updates, I'll be regularly sporadic with them. Don't worry I will not abandon this story. Again, I am glad so many of you like this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Sunagakure** **  
**

Haruki smiled as he watched some children play in Suna's street. He was currently on top of Suna's archive building, which held Suna's less dangerous jutsus and other scrolls holding various kinds of insensitive knowledge. Scrolls with more sensitive, and dangerous, writings were kept in Suna's underground vault guarded by Suna shinobi.

The top of the archive building was where Haruki had come for peace of mind since he was little. Being only a few days away from his eighteenth birthday, he still reveled in the quiet the building top afforded him. Personally, he had rarely used the scrolls in the archive building, in his mind all the stuff worth knowing was hidden away in Suna's underground tunnel system - not that anyone knew that he was aware of such a location as it was a highly guarded secret after all. It wasn't his fault he was a light sleeper and that he could hear his Uncle Ebizo sleep talking in the next room.

Haruki snorted in amusement as he remembered all the things he heard his Uncle say when the elderly man was asleep. It turned out that the quiet, rational shinobi was actually quite the gossip – when he was asleep that is; Haruki could never get Ebizo to reveal anything while the man was awake. Lost in his memories, Haruki turned his face upward to soak up the sun and enjoyed his time off from missions.

He had just returned from a mission three days ago, he had stopped a rather large network of bandits that had been ravaging several towns in the Land of Wind. It took him two weeks to find all the bandits and put a stop to them, permanently. The cash reward from the mission had been high as all of the towns that were affected pooled their money in exchange for Suna's help.

The success of the mission should go a long way with the Land of Wind Daimyo in increasing his favor with Suna. In the past, missions that could have gone to Suna were offered to other Hidden Villages, the Hidden Leaf in particular as it was larger and had a higher successful mission rate.

Haruki sighed, it was most likely due to the Leaf's willingness to work in teams instead of depending on individual effort like Suna. This is not to say that Suna shinobi didn't work in teams, they did on occasion, but there was a focus on individual missions. It was something that Haruki did not agree with, personally.

Haruki shook himself out of his thoughts, Suna politics was never something he enjoyed thinking about. Though he loved his homeland and would do anything to protect it, he disagreed with some of its policies. It was a point of contention with him and his grandmother.

Speaking of, Haruki perked up when he sensed a very familiar chakra signature slowly come into his sensing range. By its movement it would be on the roof, if it was heading to him that is, in a couple of minutes. His sensory abilities were average in comparison to some of the sensors in the village. He was able to detect one's chakra and even their chakra nature, but it got muddled when there were more than three chakra signatures he was trying to detect as they all blended together.

Haruki waited in silence as the familiar chakra signature came to a rest beside him, he feigned being asleep even when he was kicked in the side.

"I know you're awake and aware that I am here, Haruki. You can't pull a fast one on me, I've known you since you were a baby," came an old, slightly amused voice.

He opened his bright green eyes and gave a bright smile at the figure in front of him.

Haruki slowly stood, eventually towering over the smaller woman. It was something he always teased her about when he finally passed her in height when he was thirteen.

"Hello, Grandmother. What are you doing here? Dinner isn't for a couple of hours," he said to Chiyo. Though he didn't live with his Grandmother and Uncle anymore, he had found his own apartment a year ago, he still had dinner with them at least once a week to catch up and enjoy each other's company.

Chiyo gave a hum in agreement and her face grew tight.

It would have been unnoticed by anyone else but this woman raised him as her own, there was very little she could hide from him. His eyes picked up every little detail on his Grandmother's face.

Haruki grew concerned, what could have his Grandmother so worried?

"Grandmother, what is it?"

She looked him in the eye, "The Kazekage has summoned you."

He nodded in understanding and they both left the roof and headed toward the Kazekage Tower, nothing more needed to be said.

It seemed that his time off had ended.

 **Kazekage's Office**

The Kazekage's Office was a spacious room fitting a huge, round table fitting 12 chairs. When one walks in their gaze is quickly taken up by three giant statues that take up an entire wall and reach a height of at least fifteen feet. They were depictions of three past Kazekage that had died at some point in time.

Haruki entered the Kazekage's Office and stopped a few feet from the table, watching as Chiyo made her way to her seat next to Ebizo. Confusion fell over him, though he didn't show it, as he took note of all the occupants in the room.

The Fourth Kazekage was there, of course, facing Haruki directly. Haruki only recognized four of the occupants, his Uncle and Grandmother who had been on the Suna Council since the Second Kazekage. An elite Suna jonin by the name of Baki, he was the youngest member on the council; he had been on several missions with Haruki in the past, his physical prowess making him a devastating opponent. And a jonin called Sajo, who Haruki only recognized as he was always present when the Kazekage handed out missions. The other nine, Haruki did not know by name but he had seen them throughout the Tower.

Haruki's confusion stemmed from his wondering as to why all the members of Suna's Council where present, as only Sajo and the Kazekage were present when missions were handed out. Though if his Grandmother and Uncle were both here it couldn't be anything good.

"Haruki."

He looked at the Kazekage.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage? How may I be of assistance?" He hated being so formal but it was necessary when dealing with so many Seniors.

The Kazekage gave nothing away as he spoke, "A weapon of the village has been stolen and we need it retrieved."

Haruki nodded, "Of course, Lord Kazekage. What kind of weapon? Is it a Forbidden Jutsu?"

The Kazekage said nothing as one of the council members spoke, "It is no concern of you as to what kind of weapon it is, just know that Suna desperately needs it back."

Haruki mentally frowned, usually he was given more details than that, "Okay, then who stole it?"

At this the Kazekage visibly frowned but again gave no answer. It was Ebizo who did, "It seems that five days ago three jonin level Iwagakure ninja infiltrated the village through unknown means," at this all on the council gave displeased looks, "we are still looking into it, though it might be an inside job. They knew exactly what they were looking for as they came in the middle of the night, took the… _weapon_ ," Haruki's eyes narrowed at his Uncle's pause, "and left all in the span of two hours without being detected. They likely have sealing abilities as the weapon in question has an immense amount of power that would have needed to be subdued before being taken."

Haruki's confusion grew, on one hand it explained why the full Suna Council was here. A possible traitor in the Suna shinobi ranks was to be taken extremely serious. But on the other hand, what was this weapon that required sealing expertise and why did three Iwagakure jonin risk their lives to steal it? It was true that Suna and Iwa had been enemies since the time of the Second Kazekage due to the close proximity of the two villages but neither village had dared infiltrate each other's villages. At least, this was what civilians were told. The truth was that both Iwa-nin and Suna-nin attempted to get into the other's village but had always failed, but that had been years and years ago. Now, such a brazen attack meant…

Haruki stiffened, "You don't think?" He let the words go unsaid.

"Yes, as of now, we are treating this as an act of war," said Baki with no small amount of steel in his voice.

Haruki felt himself go cold at the thought of war with Iwagakure. It could spill into the other Hidden Villages, highly unlikely as neither village had outside allies, but the threat of another Shinobi World War sent chills down Haruki's spine. He had heard horror stories from his Grandmother and Uncle, it was not something he took lightly.

Haruki's face hardened, "Where are the Iwa shinobi now?"

The Kazekage answered, "Five days ago we tracked them into the desert but made no move to intercept. We thought the weapon would be beyond their ability to control, seems we were wrong." Haruki could practically hear the derision in the Kazekage's voice at his statement.

"Five days?" Haruki questioned. "It would have taken them at least three to get through the desert, assuming they made it. And another six days to get to Iwa. Why are you deploying a mission so late, they are possibly only four days away from the Village Hidden by Rocks."

It was Chiyo who spoke with a side glance at the Kazekage, "As Lord Rasa said, we thought the weapon beyond their control. And recently there was sandstorm that should have forced the Iwa shinobi to make some sort of protection with their Earth Release, it would have waylaid them for at most two days." She was right, sandstorms in the Suna desert tended to last a couple of days and the longest recorded sandstorm was a week and a half.

Haruki nodded in understanding though he did not understand why Chiyo glanced at the Kazekage who in turn was giving her a hard look.

Another council member spoke up, "You have been chosen due to your sensory skill which should, at least, give you their general location once you are out of the desert. They are headed back to the Land of Earth so head in that direction and you should be able to sense them soon after if not before. And we are sure your summoning pact with the Owls of the Mite Forest will aid your tracking and capture. You are also Suna's fastest shinobi, this is a time sensitive mission as you won't be able to infiltrate Iwagakure on your own, so failure is not an option. We are unsure if the enemy has a sensory type so your extreme control of your chakra might be needed in combating such a skill, for now operate under the assumption that they do."

Haruki nodded once more in understanding.

"As a shinobi of Suna, the completion of this mission is paramount. Iwagakure cannot have this weapon, do what you must, even if it means destroying the weapon," said the Kazekage with a dark look in his eyes.

Haruki gave a stiff nod, "Yes, Lord Kazekage."

As he turned to leave he was stopped by one of the council members, it was Sajo, "Before you leave, there is another reason for this meeting, it is to be noted that you have been promoted. You are one of Suna's strongest shinobi, with a mission completion record second to none. You are no longer a Suna chunin, you are now a member of Suna's elite jonin. Congratulations.

Haruki stilled, they were promoting him right after issuing a time sensitive mission? It somewhat made sense, the full Suna Council was always present when there was new jonin promotion. But still, doing it now was weird.

"Thank you, it is appreciated. I won't let the village down."

He quickly left the Kazekage's Office and walked down the stairs of the tower. As he walked out of the tower he heard murmuring right by the exit. He turned and saw two children, they were ten by the looks of it. One was a girl with blonde hair that was parted into two distinct pig tails on the sides of her hair, she was the one murmuring to a boy who resembled the Kazekage.

Haruki realized they must have been the Kazekage's children and, hold on, wasn't there three of them? He quickly removed all distractions from his mind as he went to his apartment to get ready for the mission and his departure.

Haruki gave a mournful sigh for the dinner he was going to miss.

* * *

 **2nd Author's Note:** You guys want to see a pairing for Haruki? I'll put up a poll, if I figure it out, so let me know. Also, the next chapter gonna be crazy - maybe, we'll see.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: The wait is over! Next chapter is here! Review if you want! If you don't then don't! Choose for yourself! Updates should be more frequent as finals wrap up. Enjoy the newest installment (or don't I don't want to be forceful here).**

* * *

 **Suna Desert**

Haruki moved himself into a more comfortable position as he waited. Well, as comfortable as one could be in the hottest place on the world. Not for the first time did Haruki thank whomever designed the Suna Shinobi outfit.

A wrapping around his neck and head ensured protection against the sun's harmful rays along with protection from the desert wind. His flak jacket, colored like sand to blend into the environment, was like any other Suna ninja's jacket though he opted to remove the shoulder guards. While others thought the shoulder guards would increase their intimidation factor, Haruki preferred to let his skill handle it. His pants were light and breezy allowing for unrestricted movement. The pants ended around his calf, the rest of his legs and feet were covered with wrappings. Overall, it was the best outfit to wear when walking through the desert.

Haruki looked up at the sky as he waited. It had been a while, they should have already been back by now. He had tracked the three Iwa jonin for most of the day, easily catching up with them due to his familiarity with the area. His Grandmother had been right, the sandstorm had stalled them for a couple days and it seemed they were still recovering. The Iwa-nin had taken to making camp for the day in the middle of two sand dunes and were talking to themselves too quietly for Haruki to catch. Haruki strained his eyes as he tried to take in everything he could of their campsite. He kept a safe distance from the three enemy ninjas lest he was seen and subsequently caught.

He'd have to infiltrate their camp in order to secure the weapon but that's what the problem was and that's why he was waiting. Since Haruki caught their tail, he'd seen nothing that would resemble anything close to a weapon. While it could have been in a storage scroll, based on what the Suna council told him it would make more sense if they just had it out. The power of the weapon would be very difficult to hold in a storage scroll alone. A sealing container would work but, again, he had seen nothing that resembled one. He had seen one of them carrying a sack but it was nondescript, not even worth looking at.

One thing was clear, before he could do anything he needed more information.

Haruki hummed a soft tune that Chiyo used to sing to him when he was young while he waited.

Finally. A bird shaped figure in the sky began to descend and landed on Haruki's shoulder.

Ruffling the bird's feathers Haruki asked, "How was it? Were you seen?"

The owl shook itself to get its feathers under control and humphed, "Every time I see you you mess with my feathers and everyone back home tease me for it. But, no I was not seen. The morons were too busy getting their meal together to notice me."

"Well, that's good. Did you see anything that might be this mysterious weapon?"

"It's moronic that your leaders did not tell you what the weapon is," Haruki gave a hum of agreement. "However, I did see where there might be a weapon hidden. In the campsite, towards their supplies, is a bag with sealing tags all over it. I can't tell for sure if it's the weapon but it's the only thing there that might be."

Haruki rubbed the side of his head, "You're probably right as you guys usually are," at this the small owl puffed its chest up. "Could you tell the overall health the three thieves?"

The brown owl looked over towards the camp, "Two of them are largely uninjured though look exhausted from being in the middle of a sandstorm for two days and the desert for even longer."

"That's good for us and the third?"

"Close to death. I'm not sure what happened to him but he looks to have been mauled, the bandages I could see are completely red, and he looked to be shivering."

Haruki's eyebrows furrowed, "Could be an attack from one of the desert animals and he got unlucky?"

The owl gave what amounted to a shrug and said, "Maybe, or maybe it was the weapon they stole."

"Trying to figure out what happened to him won't help us," stated Haruki with a groan.

The owl looked to Haruki, "What will you do then?"

"Wait till nightfall, from what you've reported they'll be here through the night. I can infiltrate their campsite, neutralize the enemy, and secure the weapon. Did you happen to see any traps while you were flying around?"

The owl shook its head in the negative.

"I'll watch where I step then. Thank you for your help, please tell everyone I said hello."

"Always a pleasure helping a human like you, the Owls of the Mite Forest will be there to provide aid and wisdom should you need it." At this the owl vanished and was followed by a soft pop.

Haruki looked towards the campsite, he was lucky that the Iwa shinobi were heavily injured or exhausted. Taking on three jonin by himself would have been extremely difficult but in a team it would have gone smoothly. He sighed, no sense in getting caught up in what could be or what should be. All he had to do was wait until they were asleep, and everything would follow from there.

 **Unknown**

No one cared about him. Not a single person. He was used to it though. He was ignored by his father and his own siblings seemed to as well. He had no one.

He knew no one was going to save him and so did his kidnappers. During the early days of his captivity, his jailors kept mocking him about how no one cared enough about him to send a rescue. But as time grew on his kidnappers grew silent as they attempted to navigate through the desert.

He tried to escape, thouhj he didn't know where he would go, many times. The closest he got was when the sandstorm hit. The kidnappers were seemingly unaware of the incoming storm if their panicked mutterings were any indication. While they were attempting to set up a structure they set him and the bag he was in on the ground, ignoring him.

He was able to get his hands out of the rope they were tied up in and from there it was only a matter getting out of the opening towards the top of the bag. By the time his kidnappers realized he had gotten loose of his bonds, he was already running into the desert.

Only one chased after him, the other two stayed near their shelter. The shinobi's longer legs allowed him to catch with the running child.

"Nuh-uh uh uh," the Shinobi shook his head, "Good demons don't run off like that. Now, you're coming wi-"

The shinobi's words were replaced with a blood-curling yell as he was assaulted by a huge cat like creature. The giant cat was the color of sand and seemed to have no trouble walking on the shifting earth. The cat's incisors were dripping some sort a vaguely purple liquid.

The boy watched as his captor's arm was brutally ripped with the shinobi being tossed around like a ragdoll. He couldn't help the grim satisfaction at seeing his captor being put in his place but was disappointed when his other captors made quick work of the sand cat. He and the now severely injured shinobi were brought back to the shelter right before the sandstorm picked up.

He was glad when they stopped for the day. Traveling in a sack did not help him sleep in the slightest. Not that it was any different from regular life, he never slept well.

He overheard his captors mention that they were only a day or so away from Iwagakure and that their companion would not be able to make the journey. He wondered if Iwagakure was a nice place or rather if it had people who would truly see _him_ not just a monster. It was this thought that accompanied the young child into sleep. His exhaustion ensuring that he had no dreams.

Sadly, his sleep did not last long as he heard muffled cries and dragging across the sand. He couldn't help it when his heart sped up and his thoughts started racing. He struggled against his bonds to no avail, they had secured him far better than they had before. What if someone was here to kill him? What if it was his father, disappointed that he didn't escape? What if-

His thoughts were cut off when the top of the sack opened and he was forced to squint as the stars shined onto him.

 **Chiyo and Ebizo's Fish Pond**

Chiyo looked over at her brother, "Ebizo."

Ebizo kept looking at the pond intent on hooking a fish.

"Hmm?" Came the distracted reply.

Chiyo was pensive while she spoke, "Why do you think Rasa asked us not to tell Haruki that it was Rasa's youngest child that was taken from the village?"

Ebizo gave a quick jerk of his pole, his anticipation building and then plummeting- nothing, again.

"I'm not sure, Sister," came Ebizo's reply as he casted his reel. "Perhaps Rasa was trying to save face by not letting Haruki know that it was his son that was taken, his shame making him stay quiet?"

"True, Rasa is a very proud man," Chiyo snorted then muttered something about ego and its relation to a man's manhood.

Ebizo let out a disappointed sigh as another fish unhooked itself. Chiyo chuckled, commenting that perhaps the fish were simply outsmarting him today. At that the man scowled.

"Why do you care anyway, Chiyo, why Rasa offers excludes information when giving out a mission?"

Chiyo watched as Ebizo casted his line once more as she thought. Her brother was right, they had seen many Kazekage exclude information when giving out missions. Often times it was unnecessary to the mission, so it was never an issue but to not tell a shinobi what they were after. That was different.

Chiyo couldn't help the slight frown, her grandson was highly skilled and more than capable but if Rasa's pride got him killed while retrieving _that_ boy. Well, not even Kami would save Rasa when she got to him.

She was shaken from her thoughts at a triumphant cry.

"Look, Chiyo!" It was obvious that Ebizo was ecstatic over his catch and was holding it up as if he had caught the world's biggest fish.

Chiyo held down the amused smile, no need to get his ego up, as she looked at the fish. It was quite still for a fish fresh out of water, usually they would still be moving as they fought to return to the water.

Hold on.

Chiyo looked closer at the fish and couldn't help what followed next.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ebizo's proud smile diminished when he heard his sister's loud laughter and blinked in shock as he watched tears run down her face. He grew concerned when it seemed that she wouldn't be able to catch her breath.

Ebizo couldn't help but ask when Chiyo's laughing fit ended, "What's so funny?"

"Eb-HaHaHa-Ebi-HaHa-Ebizo, have you even looked at the fish?" Chiyo could barely speak as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

Ebizo frowned, "What? No, not yet. I-" He couldn't finish his thought before Chiyo began laughing again.

Why was she laughing so hard? What was wrong with his fish? He didn't look at it because he had spent the past 2 hours trying catch a fish all while dealing with Chiyo's sarcastic comments. It wasn't his fault he wanted to prove that he was smarter than a fish, not that he should have to anyway- he was absolutely smarter than a fish.

Ebizo shook his head at his sister, determined to enjoy his catch, and looked at the specimen. His eyes widened in shock and it all came clear to him.

The fish was dead.

Somehow, he had caught a dead fish. Ebizo lowered his head in defeat and set his pole to the side. He ignored Chiyo as her laughter grew louder. He sighed, fishing was dumb anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Suna Playground**

She couldn't shake the anxiety that had plagued her for the past couple of days. She hated how weak the constant worrying made her feel. She was a Suna shinobi for Kami's sake, she was supposed to be above her emotions.

A ninja is never swayed by their feelings. That's what her father had taught her ever since she was little. She had taken his words to heart and strived to be everything a shinobi is supposed to be.

She had the perfect ninja to look up to as well, her father. A man who never revealed his emotions no matter what the situation was. He was strong and put the village above all else. That's what she wanted to be like, the perfect shinobi. Never too happy or too sad, always at a balance.

Yet Temari couldn't help herself as she messed with the hem of her shirt. It was a nervous tick that was constantly being called out on by her father. He told her that a good shinobi never got nervous, they always kept a cool head and a sharp mind. A nervous shinobi was a dead shinobi and Suna had no place for ninjas who lost their nerve.

Temari frowned, it was hard though. Surely not every shinobi never experienced nervousness. Even her father had after her mother…

She ended that line of thought quickly. Temari hated thinking of that day, the day she lost her mother. Everything was forever changed and she was positive that it all changed for the worst. She was glad that she didn't remember all of it, she was only a toddler after all.

All she actually remembered was being excited at getting to meet her new brother and anxiously waiting for her parents to come back to the village. For whatever reason they had left Suna's walls to have the baby. But when her new brother came home, he came without their mother and their father wasn't even holding the new baby.

Once more, Temari ruthlessly squashed those thoughts. It wasn't becoming of a shinobi to be caught in the past. She needed to keep a cool head. Since that day her father had shown no emotion and now he was the Kazekage. She would follow his lead.

She couldn't afford to get emotional about this situation. Her brothers could take care of themselves. And if they couldn't, well Suna had no time for ninja who needed to be cared for.

Temari looked as a small child fell and started to sob. She nearly shook her head in contempt while she watched the kid be helped up by what must have been the kid's older sister. Soon after the child stopped sobbing and gazed adoringly up at their sister.

Temari snorted, they would fail as shinobi. Shinobi should be able to get up on their own. Her father always let her get up on her own, staring at her passively until she finally got up.

As she watched the siblings further doubt crept into her mind, she couldn't fight the jealousness that rose when she saw the two siblings interact and the love they obviously held for each other. She was sure they were just civilians due to their carefree attitudes, but she had to wonder- could she and her brothers be like that?

Her mother had always told her to look out her for her siblings no matter what that it was her duty to do so. But her father told her otherwise, a shinobi should have no attachments. But, yet, they were her brothers no matter what anyone said.

She stilled, others told her that her youngest brother was a monster and that he should be exiled into the desert, left to die slowly. Temari didn't fight the scowl that came up at the thought, Gaara couldn't be a monster. It was impossible, though when she asked her father he simply said he was weak and should be forgotten.

Temari found it extremely difficult to compare the monster that so many considered her brother to be with the little boy that came to her when his nightmares kept him up. She never turned him away, it was her duty as a big sister.

She sighed as she warred with herself, one wanting to be the perfect shinobi and the other wanting to do as her mother said. She hated being so unsure. Temari shook her head, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of, something that not even her father could alter.

Temari loved her siblings with all her heart so she decided right then, when her little brother got back she would be there for him and for Kankuro as well. She would fulfil her duty to her dying day.

Yet she still worried, where was her brother, was he okay? She wished she was there with him.

Temari was shaken from her deep thoughts as a shadow enveloped her. Looking up she saw the weathered face of one of the Honored Siblings and immediately gave a deep bow. The siblings had done a lot to ensure Suna's safety, Temari wouldn't dare disrespect one of them.

As she rose, Lord Ebizo cleared his throat, "Young people shouldn't worry so much or you'll get wrinkles before your time."

Temari gave a slight frown, "My apologies, Lord Ebizo."

The older man chuckled, "There is nothing to apologize for, worrying is only natural for an older sibling after all. I know I worry about Chiyo more often then I would like."

Temari looked into the man's kind eyes, "My father says shinobi should only look out for themselves and that attachments will only lead to death."

Ebizo sighed, "Yes, that does sound like your father, but I think we can agree that he's a bit of hypocrite, don't you think?"

Memories of her mother flooded into her mind as Ebizo continued, "I think having loved ones makes us stronger as shinobi. Having someone to fight for can be an incredible motivator."

Ebizo became serious, "If I may, your mother thought that more than anyone. Even now that idea lives on."

Temari's eyes widened, unsure of what to say.

Ebizo gave a small smile, "My nephew is quite strong, he'll make sure your brother is brought home safely. Though when your brother gets back it's up to you to ensure that your mother's will lives on." With that the old man walked away leaving Temari on her own.

She steeled herself, she would go against her father's wishes. She would become Suna's strongest shinobi, yes, but she would do to watch over her brothers. She would do it because it was what her mother would want her to do.

Temari smiled, Haruki no Suna was one of the strongest shinobi she had ever seen and one of the most outspoken in the village. He always pushed for team missions and camaraderie, never caring that it went against Suna's philosophy. She would do the same, she would blaze her own trail with her brothers at her side.


End file.
